A tragic incident unfolded Tuesday afternoon after a single-vehicle crash on Old Hickory Boulevard in Nashville led to the death of an 11-year-old boy and left his mother, Elizabeth Sanchez, facing serious charges. According to a statement from the Nashville Police Department, Sanchez has been charged with vehicular homicide by intoxication and child endangerment.
The crash occurred at 3:30 p.m., when Sanchez reportedly failed to properly negotiate a curve in the road. Her GMC Yukon went off the roadway, crashing through a wooden fence, traveling approximately 300 yards across a field, and ultimately coming to an abrupt stop in a drainage ditch. Investigators found no evidence to suggest that Sanchez had attempted to brake before the impact.
Emergency services responded to the incident and transported Sanchez to Vanderbilt University Medical Center with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. Her son, who had been seated in the back of the Yukon, was taken to Vanderbilt Children's Hospital, where he, devastatingly, was pronounced deceased. During her treatment, Sanchez admitted to having consumed beer before the accident. Responding personnel also reported an odor of alcohol on her breath and person, according to the Nashville Police Department.
Sanchez is expected to be arrested on the outstanding warrants as soon as she is discharged from the hospital. The loss of the young boy has resonated deeply within the community, prompting renewed conversations on the dire consequences of driving under the influence, particularly with minors in the vehicle.
